Giving to Make a Life

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

The accuracy of this proclamation will be validated this month during The United Way’s Spring It On online fundraiser.

Spring It On is a 24-hour online fundraiser for nonprofits across Western New York to come together and raise resources and awareness for their respective missions.

We will be celebrating Spring It On this year and our campaign will be geared towards providing equipment for players, family engagement days, sponsoring an athlete for an entire season and more. To visit and support our campaign, go to Spring It On.

Make a life by what we give.

The simplicity and profundity of this statement shouldn’t be overlooked.

Giving can be the greatest display of unselfishness one can show. Giving doesn’t just have to mean a dollar amount. You can give time. You can give love. You can give effort. In this case, you can give the opportunity of a positive future. Making a life.

There is an overall good feeling in giving. Though when you think about what that giving does for someone else, there is an even greater feeling of nobility.

Think of the child that gets to participate in a program that introduces them to the benefits of healthy habits and physical activity. Or the young adult that gets opportunity to explore their career path and prepare for their future. And the coach-mentor that gets to experience the tremendous impact they can make on a child.

That is the kind of life that you can make for someone else. The life you make for yourself is just as significant.

The old adage “when you stand for something, you won’t fall for anything” becomes apparent. You’ve given yourself something else to stand up for. You’ve found a cause that you believe in and want to support. Above all else, you’ve proven to yourself that *you* matter.

Your actions have counted for something and made a difference. With that knowledge, you can walk proudly having done something bigger than yourself. You may not see that impact right away. But if you believe in old Greek Proverb, “a society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”